Golf tee and practice mat



June 23, 1931. v 7 w, E, CARTER 1,810,906

GOLF TEE AND PRACTICE MAT Filed Aug. 12. 1929 3maentor 'W ZZZz'am z Carter Q Gttomeg l atented June 2 3, 1931 WILLIAM E. CARTER, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA GOLF TEE AND PRACTICE MAT Application filed August 12, 1929. Serial No. 385,200.

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus for the support of golf balls, either in practice rooms or on the links, the construction being such as to provide a prac- 5 tical support for the ball and an adjacent surface which will stand much abuse from unskillful players without serious deterioration.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved device;

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

In the drawings 10 indicates a base plate upon which is pivoted, on a vertical axis 11, a rotary table 12, the upper face of which is formed of a plurality of upstanding fibers or bristles 13. Pivoted at 14 on base 10 is a standard 15 provided at its upper end with a ball receptacle or support 16 arranged to closely overlie the edge of the bristle-formed upper face of the turn table 12. This standard 15 may be made of wire, as indicated, bent into a ball-rcceiving eye 16. The pivot point 14 should preferably be vertically below the inner edge of the eye 16 so that outward swinging movement on pivot 14 will not cause an elevation of any portion of the eye.

Plate 10 at one end is bent upwardly, as

indicated at 17 and hinged at 18 to one end of a player-supporting platform 19 which may be formed of any desired material, with its upper face of such character as to form a satisfactory surface upon which the player may stand.

The player, by unskillful manipulation may of course strike too deeply and thus strike the upper surface of the turn-table 12, but as this surface is formed of bristles or upstanding fibers and, as the turn-table is readily rotatable, the surface adjacent which the ball is supported by eye 16 will yield readily so that it will not be injured by the clubs and even if a portion of the surface may be seriously injured, rotation of the turn-table will bring a fair surface into the direct eye line of the player as he keeps his eye on the ball.

While theadvantages of the arrangement of the bracket 15 and annulus 16 with relation to the mat 13 should be readily appar- 5 ent, the basic reason for this arrangement may be noted. Obviously, the rotatable mounting of the mat 13 not only tends to lessen the degree of wear of the mat, but also tends to decrease the possibility of 0 damaging a club by an inexpert stroke. If the mat is struck hard by the club on a line other than a diameter, the mat tends to rotate. If the ball were placed directly upon the mat, such rotation of the mat would dislodge the ball. Since, however, the ball is actually carried on the annulus 16 which, in turn, is secured to the base 10, movement of the mat in response to a stroke of the club does not affect the ball.

I claim as my invention:

1. Golf apparatus comprising a base plate, a turn table mounted'thereon on a vertical axis, and a ball-support closely overlying the upper face of said turn table at the edge thereof.

2. Golf apparatus of the character specified in claim 1 wherein the upper surface of the turn table is formed by the upper ends of upstanding fibers. I

3. Golf apparatus of the character specified in claim 1 wherein the ball-support is carried at the upper end of a standard pivoted upon a horizontal axis.

4-. Golf apparatus ofthe character specifled in claim 1, wherein the ball support is hinged to the base on a horizontal axis substantially vertical beneath the inner edge of the ball support.

5., Golf apparatus comprising a base plate, a turn table mounted on said plate on a vertical axis and having an upper surface formed of upstanding fibers, a ball support closely overlying the edge of said fiber surface, and a hinge connection between said ball support and base plate.

6. Golf apparatus of the character specified in claim 5 wherein the axis of the hinge is substantially vertically beneath the inner edge of that portion of the ball support which overlies the fiber surface.

7. Golf apparatus comprising a mat composed of a plurality of upstanding fibers forming a surface to be overlaid by a golf ball, and a golf ball support comprising a standard hinged to the base of the mat and a ball supporting portion adapted in one position of the support to overlie the fiberformed surface.

8. Golf apparatus comprising a base, and a mat of yielding material mounted on said base for rotation on a vertical axis.

9. Golf apparatus comprising a base, a

. mat of yielding material mounted on said base for rotation on a vertical axis, and a ball-support associated with said mat.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 6th day of August, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and twenty-nine.

' WILLIAM E. CARTER. 

